Wheel type continuous casting machine,for the production of a continuous metal ingot

ABSTRACT

A wheel type continuous casting machine for the production of a continuous metal ingot, comprising a peripherally grooved wheel driven by motor means, covered along an arc of a circle by a belt of notable length, fed to said wheel from a feeding reel and defining with said groove a mould on said wheel and passing onto a take-up reel during the rotation of the wheel, the belt being long enough to allow the machine to operate for at least one work shift.

United States Patent 1 Properzi WHEEL TYPE CONTINUOUS CASTING MACHINE, FOR THE PRODUCTION OF A CONTINUOUS METAL INGOT Ilario Properzi, Via-Vittor Pisani-8, Milano, Italy Filed: June 18, 1971 Appl. No.: 133,008

Foreign Application Priority Data Inventor:

Nov. 10, 1970 Italy ..31546 A/7O US. Cl. 164/87, 164/278 Int. Cl B22d 11/06 Field of Search 163/82, 86, 87, 275,

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Brennan 164/278 Brennan 164/278 X Hoteko 164/278 X [451 July 31,1973

3,351,126 11/1967 Richards et a1 164/278 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1,039,548 8/1966 Great Britain 164/278 Primary Ergminer k. Spencer Annear Attorney Guido Modiano and Albert J osif [57] ABSTRACT A wheel type continuous casting machine for the production of a continuous metal ingot, comprising a peripherally grooved wheel driven by motor means, covered along an arc of a circle by a belt of notable length, fed to said wheel from a feeding reel and defining with said groove a mould on said wheel and passing onto a take-up reel during the rotation of the wheel, the belt being long enough to allow the machine to operate for at least one work shift.

2 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures Patented July 31, 1973 3,749,150

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR Ilario PROPERZI Patented July 31, 1973 3,749,150

2 Sheets-Sheet S INVENTOR Ilorio PROPERZI AGFN WHEEL TYPE CONTINUOUS CASTING MACHINE, FOR THE PRODUCTION OF A CONTINUOUS METAL INGOT BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a wheel type continuous casting machine, for the production of a continuous metal ingot.

Machines for continuous metal casting, as provided in previous patents by the same applicant, comprise a peripherally grooved wheel, driven by motor means and partially wound by an endless belt to define on said wheel a continuously moving mould. According to conventional arrangements, said belt passes around idle pulleys and is entrained by the casting wheel, being in contact to the latter along an arc of a circle of about l80-200.

Said machines are of very satisfying use and very diffused for obtaining aluminium ingots, while undesired disadvantages arise when casting with metals of high melting temperatures, suxh as copper or steel.

More precisely with such types of metals, a rapid wear of the belt occurs, the belt normally consisting of low-carbon steel and having a thickness from 1.5 to 2.5 mms. Due to the high temperature, in spite of the presence of cooling devices, and repeated contact with the casting wheel, undesired bucklings in the belt occur which put it out of use in a short time period, with consequent frequent stoppings in manufacturing for the changing of the belt.

It should also be noted, in this connection, that a stopping of a continuous casting machine is a particularly troublesome and time wasting operation in that such a machine, while being of notable precision and efficiency when running, requires a delicate and long preparatory operation. This operation must be carried out by highly specialized technicians and involves the formation of waste and the stopping of all the operative cycle (rolling, winding, etc.) for a certain time period downstream from the machine itself.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is that of substantially eliminating the disadvantages mentioned above relating to conventional machines, by providing a continuous casting machine which ensures a regular and uninterrupted working for a long period of time, for example for one or more complete work shifts or cycles, even for metals of a high melting temperature, like copper or steel.

Another object of the invention is that of providing a machine which allows a production of high quality metal ingots at low costs.

According to the invention there is provided a continuous casting machine, comprising a peripherally grooved wheel driven by motor means, which machine is characterized in that a tape of suitable length is wound along an arc of a circle on the periphery of the said grooved wheel, the said tape being suitable to define on said wheel a moving mould and passing, during working, from a feeding spool to a take up spool, said tape being in peripheral contact with said wheel during the rotation of the latter and having a length such as to ensure the working of the said casting machine for at least one work shift.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention will better appear from the following detailed description of a preferred but not exclusive embodiment of a continuous casting machine, according to the invention, illustrated by way ofindicative and not limiting example in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic elevation view of the continuous casting machine, according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic plan view of the same machine;

FIG. 3 illustrates, in a larger scale, a portion of the machine shown in FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT With reference to such figures, the'continuous casting machine according to the invention, comprises a casting wheel 1 with a horizontal axis having a'groove la along all peripheral border thereof. Said groove is closed, along an arc of a circle,for example l-200, by a metallic tape or belt 2 of notable length, passing from a feeding spool or reel 3 to a take-up spool or reel 4.

As with conventional devices, the casting wheel 1, is mounted within a well 5 and is driven by respective motor means 6a suitable to provide it with a continuous rotation.

The belt 2 .passes around the casting wheel 1, by means of idle rollers 6, 7 rotatably mounted about horizontal axes and defining, the exit zone of a continuous ingot 8 (indicated by a dashed dotted line in FIGS. 1 and 2) and the casting zone where the casting unit 9 is arranged respectively (FIGS. 1 and 3).

With such an arrangement, the belt 2 closes the groove la (FIG. 3) of the casting wheel I, along an arc of a circle thus defining therewith a casting mould.

Said mould, during its operating, is in continual movement and causes the formation of the continuous ingot 8. Said ingot upon leaving the casting wheel 1 is slightly deviated in a lateral direction with respect to the casting wheel 1 and is passed onto a roller unit 10 and then to successive conventional apparatus such as a cutting unit 11, a straightening unit 12, a heating tunnel 13, a roll train 14 (FIG. 2 etc.

The spools 3 and 4 are rotatably mounted about axes parallel to the axis of the casting wheel I and are connected to support means 30, 4a respectively arranged so that the tape or belt 2 unwinds and extends from the feeding spool in a rectilinear form, when seen in plan view, passing onto the periphery of the casting wheel 1 andis wound onto the take-up spool.

The belt 2 is provided with a notable length so as to ensure a convenient operating time period of the casting machine. It has been found for example that to ensure an uninterrupted operating of the casting maching for an entire work shift of 8 hours, the belt must have a length of about 5,000 ms. Obviously therefore, the spools 3 and 4 will have large diametrical dimensions and be provided with stiff supports.

Although not shown in the drawings, motor means may be provided, to rotate the spools 3 and 4, as also guide pulleys or other transmission rollers may be provided along the length of belt 2 between the same pulleys.

To the casting wheel 1 there are provided, as in conventional arrangements, cooling devices l5, 16 (FIG. 3), comprising water jets, directed from the inside onto the mould formed in the periphery of wheel 1, and directed from the outside onto the length of belt winding around the same wheel, respectively. In FIG. 3 further details relating to wheel 1 are shown, which are outside the scope of the present invention.

From the foregoing, the operating of the casting machine according to the invention should be clear.

As shown by the arrows in FIG. 1, during the rotation of the casting wheel 1, the belt 2 is continuously unwound from the feeding spool 3 so as to pass in contact with wheel 1 and then to wind around the take-up spool 4. At the beginning of the work cycle, the belt 2 is entirely wound around the feeding spool 3 while at the end of the same cycle the belt 2 will be passed onto the take-up spool 4 completely unwinding from the spool 3.

During the operation of the machine, the continuous ingot 8 will be produced which will pass continuously to the successive work units 11, 12, 13, 14 etc.

Obviously the length of the belt can be such as to allow a continuous work cycle of duration of two or more complete work shifts.

As indicated by dashed line in FIG. 1, during the unwinding and winding of the belt 2, there will occur a variation in the diameters of the spools 3 and 4 which will cause a variation of the inclination of the belt in the space between the above mentioned spools and the wheel 1. This does not produce any disadvantage since the arrangement of the belt 2 on the wheel 1 is determined by the rollers 6 and 7.

When the belt 2 has completely or almost completely passed onto the spool 4, the casting machine is stopped and is then prepared for a successive work cycle.

This occurs by the rewinding of the belt 2 onto the spool 3 and may occur directly without passing the belt 2 around the wheel 1. According to a modified embodiment, the casting machine may be arranged for a successive work cycle by interexchanging the spools 3 and 4, but so that the thermic stresses are alternated on the two surfaces of the belt to enable compensations for inevitable deformations. It is understood that in this case at least reel 3 is rotated in the opposite sense for unwinding the belt.

As said in the foregoing, the drawing of the belt 2 may take place by means of respective motor means, or it may occur by friction from the casting wheel 1. Means however are provided suitable to entrain the belt at a peripheral velocity substantially equal to that of the casting wheel.

As can be seen, the casting machine according to the invention allows long and sure uninterrupted operating cycles, even when working with metals having a high melting point, as for example copper or steel.

In fact, while in conventional machines a portion of belt, for example the place of welding of an endless belt, was stressed by the heat of the liquid metal about every minute, with a tape according to the invention, it is stressed once only for each work shift. It should be apparent therefore that the belt 2, in the casting machine according to the invention, deforms to a considerably less extent than that which occurs in the conventional apparatus with an endless belt, and that malformations in the continuous ingot obtained are avoided.

The life of the belt, is notably increased also, because the arrangement according to the invention has the great advantage of allowing auxiliary operations on the belt 2. In connection with this, at an intermediate position, for example between the casting wheel I and the spool 3, it is possible to arrange various units for the lubrication, cooling, straightening, cleaning and other treatments of the belt 2 (such units have not been shown in the drawings).

Another advantage of the arrangement according to the invention, is that of being able to alternate the face of the belt 2, exposed to the liquid metal, by reversing the belt itself on the spools 3 and 4. With this a better exploitation and a greater life of the belt is obtained.

It is besides possible to use tapes 2 of reduced thicknesses, for example 0.5 mms, which also ensures an improvement in thermic exchange, which is advantageous for an improved quality of the product obtained.

With such a system, it is possible to program the stopping of the casting machine determined by the tape and the latter may be made of copper instead of steel.

A further advantage of the system, according to the invention, with respect to those at present in use, is that of eliminating the welding of the belt required in an endless belt arrangement.

The invention thus conceived is susceptible to numerous modifications and changes, which should be easily apparent to a person skilled in the art.

Thus, for example, it is possible to arrange the axis of the casting wheel 1 at right angles with the rolling axis, by providing a lateral deviation of the belt 2. In such a case the lateral deviation of the continuous ingot 8, immediately after its formation would not be necessary.

In practice the materials used as well as the dimensions could be any depending upon the requirements and furthermore many elements may be substituted with other technically equivalent means readily appreciable by those skilled in the art.

I claim:

1. A continuous casting machine including a rotatable casting wheel provided with a peripheral groove defining a mold for a metal to be cast, a metal belt having a face closing said groove for an arc portion between an inlet of the molten metal into said groove and an outlet of the metal cast into a continuous ingot, guiding rolls for said belt provided at said inlet and said outlet, a feeding reel of said metal belt and a take-up reel of said metal belt arranged opposite to said casting wheel for continuously feeding said belt towards said casting wheel and reel said belt after contact with said casting wheel, and means for rotating said reels, said means being provided for rotation in both senses thereby to allow the metal belt to be unreeled and reeled having inverted the face thereof contacting said casting wheel and the molten metal.

2. A method of operating a casting machine including a rotatable casting wheel with a peripheral groove and a metal belt contacting said rotatable casting wheel and closing said peripheral groove along an arc portion of said rotatable casting wheel, said metal belt being unreeled from a feeding reel and realed on a take-up reel, wherein said reels are periodically interchanged and mounted so as to alternate the face of said metal belt which is in contact, during rotation of said casting wheel, with the molten metal. 

1. A continuous casting machine including a rotatable casting wheel provided with a peripheral groove defining a mold for a metal to be cast, a metal belt having a face closing said groove for an arc portion between an inlet of the molten metal into said groove and an outlet of the metal cast into a continuous ingot, guiding rolls for said belt provided at said inlet and said outlet, a feeding reel of said metal belt and a take-up reel of said metal belt arranged opposite to said casting wheel for continuously feeding said belt towards said casting wheel and reel said belt after contact with said casting wheel, and means for rotating said reels, said means being provided for rotation in both senses thereby to allow the metal belt to be unreeled and reeled having inverted the face thereof contacting said casting wheel and the molten metal.
 2. A method of operating a casting machine including a rotatable casting wheel with a peripheral groove and a metal belt contacting said rotatable casting wheel and closing said peripheral groove along an arc portion of said rotatable casting wheel, said metal belt being unreeled from a feeding reel and realed on a take-up reel, wherein said reels are periodically interchanged and mounted so as to alternate the face of said metal belt which is in contact, during rotation of said casting wheel, with the molten metal. 